Genius Platform Brings Advanced Point of Sale Functionality to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Jul 30, 2014) - Payment technologies leader Merchant Warehouse® today announced a series of new features and functionalities within its proprietary Genius™ Customer Engagement Platform™. These new platform enhancements, including signature on-demand, line item display and on-screen advertising, deliver big-box retail solutions to enable small and mid-sized businesses to deliver a significantly enhanced experience at the point of sale.

The world of payments is rapidly evolving. For example, while 16 percent of U.S. consumers have made a purchase using their smartphones to date, 78 percent indicate interest in using them while shopping. There are big opportunities here, and businesses need a way to keep up with market changes. With the Genius Platform, Merchant Warehouse allows small and mid-sized businesses to deploy the newest payment technologies available. The Genius Platform is designed to evolve over time; it accepts any payment type and adds new payment solutions as they enter the market. The new capabilities announced today represent the continuous evolution of the Genius Platform, making it the most holistic, feature-rich payment platform in its class.

Here are the new features, in detail:

Line Item DisplayMany big-box stores offer customers the ability to see items on a point of sale screen as they are being scanned. This has a range of benefits, including transparency around pricing and the ability for customers to verify that they have selected the correct items. Many states even require line item reporting at the register. Until now, businesses needed to invest in expensive peripherals such as pole displays to provide this functionality. With this latest feature addition to the Genius Platform, businesses can provide line item display on the customer-facing Genius device, improving the transaction experience for customers and eliminating the need for additional, costly standalone solutions.

On-Screen AdvertisingBusinesses have many avenues to reach their customers with marketing messages, but one of the most immediate and powerful ways to do that is in-store. Relevant, timely offers at the counter-top can make the difference between a mediocre customer interaction and one-time sale versus a devoted fan who provides ongoing patronage. With the new Genius splash-screen advertising capabilities, businesses can reach their customers with branded images, offers and loyalty messages directly on the customer engagement device. It's just one more way Genius can help businesses connect with their customers more meaningfully at the point of sale.

Signature On-DemandIn addition to allowing customers to sign for credit and debit transactions digitally, Genius now enables businesses to accept signatures at other points during the customer interaction. For example, many pharmacies require a signature from customers to prove that they are receiving the correct prescriptions. Additionally, hardware stores may request signatures when people rent various tools from them. With Genius, businesses of all types and sizes can now accept these non-transaction digital signatures quickly and easily within the same device that they use to process normal payment transactions.

Tip, Cashback and Discount Configuration OptionsIn addition to the above major features, the expanded Genius offering includes feature enhancements that help businesses add value at the point of sale. For example, businesses can now offer cash-back on debit card transactions to their customers and provide a display with discount offers. Additionally, businesses can add the option for customers to tip at the register.

"Taken together, these updates push Genius forward as the leading solution for businesses looking to offer more value to their customers in the form of convenience, loyalty and money-saving opportunities," said Henry Helgeson, CEO, Merchant Warehouse. "Genius also gives businesses more ways than ever to market to their customers and get the word out about who they are and what they do, building loyalty over time."

Finally, the updated Genius customer engagement device provides POS developers with a great option to help their customers embrace new payment methods and marketing technologies all in one point of sale system, increasing the value they can offer across the board. It's all part of the ongoing evolution of the Genius Customer Engagement Platform, providing businesses and POS developers with best-in-class technology to enhance value at the moment of transaction.

The new Genius Platform features will be on display the Merchant Warehouse's RSPA RetailNOW booth, August 5-6, 2014 in Orlando. Details about Merchant Warehouse and Genius can be found at www.merchantwarehouse.com/genius.

About Merchant WarehouseMerchant Warehouse is a leading provider of payment technologies and merchant services. The company's solutions enable businesses to more effectively connect and engage with their customers regardless of how, where or when they choose to shop. Merchant Warehouse's flagship technology solution, the Genius™ Customer Engagement Platform™, supports both traditional and new payment types, including mobile commerce, from a single countertop acceptance device.

Merchant Warehouse offers innovative payment solutions that help online and brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as point-of-sale (POS) developers, value-added resellers (VARs) and agents, strategically grow their business. Merchant Warehouse is one of the fastest growing payment technology companies in North America.